


and now, it's time to leave and turn to dust

by knockoffjugheadjones



Category: Archie Comics, Archie Comics & Related Fandoms, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Eventual Smut (Maybe), F/M, Fluff, More characters to be added, Some angst, archie being a supportive friend, betty and jughead are sad and then they aren't sad with each other, cheryl and betty have a good relationship, i love tagging this is so fun, medium burn because idk how long this is gonna be, moody!jughead, sorry no falice, toni and jughead are besties :), veronica is an awesome best friend
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:20:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29115894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knockoffjugheadjones/pseuds/knockoffjugheadjones
Summary: From the moment his mother took Jellybean and left for Toledo, Jughead's biggest role model had been his father. Sure, FP wasn't nearly as reliable or put together as his mother, but at least he stuck around.aka, jughead is a sad boy and betty is a sad girl. together, they become not sad.(first time writing a bughead fic, so please be gentle with me. 😅)
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, Cheryl Blossom/Toni Topaz, Kevin Keller/Moose Mason
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hello, my lovely people. i just joined the bughead fandom, so this is kinda new to me. i'll try my best to characterize these two as well as i can. btw, my update schedule is fucked up, so don't expect a bunch of new content right away. i'll try to update at least once a week. hope you enjoy! ❤❤❤

_ "Never fall in love, son. Women will break you until you're nothing but a hollow shell of the person you used to be." _

From the moment his mother took Jellybean and left for Toledo, Jughead's biggest role model had been his father. Sure, FP wasn't nearly as reliable or put together as his mother, but at least he stuck around. 

From time to time, FP would give Jughead these drunken speeches about the unfairness of life and how the world didn't care about him he so he'd have to go out there and figure out how to care for himself.

His father might not have had the best advice to give, but Jughead learned to just appreciate the time spent with him.

When FP wasn't drunk from a long night at the Wyrm, he was either sprawled out on the couch, sleeping with a massive hangover, or absent. Sometimes, Jughead would have to look for him around the Southside of town.

On those rare (not really rare) occasions, the teen would find his father passed out in an alley or sleeping in some stranger's backyard. When Jughead couldn't find his dad, he'd call up Toni to help him. The two would then scour the area to find out that FP was in some trash yard on the Northside.

FP had made Jughead's life an endless goose chase. A neverending cycle of looking for his dad, finding his dad, dragging his dad back to the trailer, rinse and repeat.

Now, at 17 years old, you'd think that the boy had had enough of his father's antics and had packed up his stuff and left a long time ago. 

But, sadly, no.

Here he stood, at the front desk of the goddamn Riverdale Police Station, asking for his dad.

"I'm sorry, and you are?"

"Jughead Jones, FP's kid. I'm here to pick him up."

The front desk lady flipped through the papers on her clipboard and looked back at him. 

"I'm very sorry, he's not here."

Jughead took off his beanie and ran a hand through his hair. He'd looked everywhere for his dad and he wasn't even in the fucking drunk tank?

"Okay. Thanks."

He slapped his beanie back on his head and stormed out the front doors.

"Hey, Jug!"

A voice called from the side of the building. He turned around and saw no one.

_ The fuck? _

"Dude!" A figure emerged from the dark end of the station, a can of pink spray paint in hand.

"Toni?"

The figure came closer to reveal none other than the beanie-wearing, pink-haired, flannel-bearing Toni Topaz.

"What are you doing here?" the girl asked, spray can tucked between her arm and waist.

"Dad got lost again. I'm looking for him," he sneaked a peek at the spray paint she had in her arm. "I could ask you the same thing."

She nodded at the station. "I was bored. Figured this building could use a signature 'Topaz makeover.'"

Jughead chuckled. That was Toni for you. Always doing some new shit to get in trouble for.

"Well, stop doing...whatever you're doing and help me find my dad."

Toni threw the can aside and linked arms with the boy.

"Let us begin our quest to find the drunken father!" 

**... **

Betty sat on her bed, a bottle of pills in her hand.

Her mother had given her the pills a few days ago, saying that the old prescription was too weak.

_ "This is much better medication, Betty. It'll help you to not act out like the last time, alright?" _

It was so stupid. She got in trouble with the principal for what? Correcting a teacher?

She understood her mother cared for her mental health, but this seemed a little overkill.

A knock came from her door, snapping Betty out of her thoughts.

"Come in!" she called out. What she really wanted to say was leave me the fuck alone.

In walked Alice with a somber expression on her face.

"Betty, I have something I need to talk to you about."

She sat down on the bed next to the blonde and clasped her hands together in her lap.

"I've been thinking about you and how your emotions have been affecting your attitude inside and outside of school."

_ What is she talking about? _

"Your principal has been calling your father and me multiple times about how you've been doing in school, and we think that what's best for you- well, all of us would be a...change of environment."

"Mom, what are you trying to say?" Betty stuttered out. She couldn't process a single word that was coming out of her mother's mouth.

"We," she took a breath in and sighed. "We think that the best option for us is to send you to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy with your sister."

_ Is she fucking serious right now? _

"What?! No, Mom, there's no way in hell I'm doing that!"

"I know it might not sound like the best thing in the world right now, but I assure you, Elizabeth, that this will benefit you in the long run."

Betty got up from her place on the bed and walked around in circles. 

There was no way her mother could possibly be suggesting that she  _ agree _ to be sent off to a nunnery.

Suddenly, Betty grabbed her backpack from off the floor and started collecting her school supplies.

"Betty, what are you doing?"

"I'm packing up for school, because, apparently, that's the only place I can think of where I can think about...this."

"Betty, wait," Alice cried out, but she was already making her way out the door.

She stepped out onto the sidewalk and practically ran to Archie's house. She needed someone to talk to about what had just happened.

Betty knocked on the door and Archie opened it looking like he just rolled out of bed.

"Betty, what are you doing up? It's five fifty-six-"

"No time, Arch," she stalked into his house.

"Uh, okay. I guess 'good morning' isn't a phrase anymore."

She spun around. "Please, Arch, I just need you to get ready so we can go to school. I need someone to talk to right now."

He looked at her and nodded his head, silently showing that he understood. He walked up the steps to his room and threw on a t-shirt and his letterman jacket. 

The pair walked out the door and began their way to school.

**... **

Jughead walked through the double doors of Riverdale High, already in a bad mood.

He and Toni had spent all day yesterday and all of this morning trying to find FP, and, when they did find him, his dad gave him a rash of shit for waking him up so early.

He put on his headphones and put on some random emo playlist he made when he was fourteen and going through a pretty rough phase.

Gerard Way's sweet vocals soothed the rage in his heart as he made his way to first period.

Jughead was calm for about twenty seconds before Reggie Mantle bumped his shoulder in the hallway with his posse of jocks following close behind. 

They all shouted insults at him and some even tried throwing a few punches at him, but he ignored it.

"'Sup, fag?"

"How you doing, emo freak?"

"What's the matter, crown boy? Gonna cry about it to your drunk of a father?"

Now that, that got him angry. He wouldn't let anyone insult his father and get away with it.

In a split second of adrenaline, Jughead reached for the jock's collar, turned him around to face him, and socked him square in the nose.

Blood poured from the guy's face as he sputtered and stumbled away, still in shock.

"I'm gonna get you back for that one, you bastard!"

Reggie charged forward and threw Jughead into the nearest locker. He slipped down and fell onto the floor, writhing in pain. Reggie and a couple of other jocks started kicking his limp body, yelling curses at him.

"That's enough!"

Principal Weatherbee's voice rang out above all the shouts. Everyone looked up to see him standing in the middle of the hallway.

"Who started this?"

The football players all pointed to Jughead, laying on the ground, bruises covering his body.

"Mr. Jones, please come with me."

_ I fucking hate this town. _

**... **

Betty looked on in horror as Jughead was being kicked on the floor. She had no idea what to do at that moment.

She ran to the office and yelled out, "Mr. Weatherbee, a fight's going on in the hallway!"

The principal emerged from his office confused and looked outside to see what was going on.

Soon enough, he ran outside and cried, "That's enough!"

Betty looked on as Jughead got blamed for the whole fight. It was so unfair. Everyone knew that he didn't do anything wrong, yet they were so quick to agree with the jocks just because he was a Southsider.

"Mr. Jones, please come with me."

"Wait, Principal Weatherbee, he didn't do anything-"

"Save it, Ms. Cooper. Unless you want me to call home again about your behavior."

She nodded and slowly walked to her next class. There was nothing she could do to help the poor kid.

As she walked away, Betty locked eyes with Jughead. Their gaze on each other lingered for a moment before his eyes pulled away. 

A strange tingly feeling landed in her stomach. The boy's eyes were piercing and soft at the same time, with light green flecks to compliment his crystal blue eyes.

She thought nothing of the encounter and continued to walk to her class, deciding it would be best not to think any more of Jughead Jones or his heavenly eyes.

_ Jesus, the school day hasn't even started yet and I already got myself into trouble. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> betty's starting to feel a little something something for jughead. and it ain't anything bad. ❤❤❤

It was mid-afternoon on a sunny Friday. Betty sat at the desk in the meeting room for the Blue and Gold, searching for the paper she'd written just a few days ago. She'd planned on using the article for the new paper that would be printed the upcoming Monday.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck! Where is it?"

The blonde heard the loud clacking of stilettos and looked up to come face-to-face with Cheryl, holding the paper in her hand.

"Looking for something, dear cousin?"

Betty grabbed the paper and sighed in relief. "Thanks, Cheryl. I don't know what I would do if you weren't here to keep everything organized."

The other girl smiled and sat down on a bench near the door.

"May I ask, why on Earth are you planning to print an article about the 'stigma of being a Southsider' in the next edition of the Blue and Gold?" she used air quotes for the phrase "stigma of being a Southsider."

Betty placed the paper down on the desk in front of her and folded her hands. "Because, Cheryl, you see how those kids are treated every day. They're constantly being harassed and bullied just for the side of town they're from."

Cheryl nodded her head. "As they should be. Gangbangers and street rats deserve back what they put out into the world," the redhead snarkily remarked back.

Betty sighed again, not of relief this time. She and Cheryl had always been the best of friends, agreeing on everything and anything...Except for the Southside kids. While Cheryl agreed with most Northsiders that the Southsiders were nothing but dirty little delinquents, Betty saw no reason not to give them a chance.

"Come on, Cheryl. You and I both know that they aren't as bad as everyone thinks they are. The Southside gets a bad wrap, and for what? Being less fortunate than us?" 

The other girl shook her head. "Think what you want about the Southside, Betty, but don't think that others won't get angry over this. You might get hurt, and, as much as I disagree with you about the whole Southside thing, I don't want anything to happen to you."

Cheryl leaned over the desk to gently place her hand on Betty's. "You're my cousin, remember?" she said softly.

The blonde nodded yes. She didn't want anything bad to happen to Cheryl either, which was hard for her to avoid with how much the redhead ran her mouth around other people.

"I just want you to think about it before you go through with it, okay? It's a risky choice, y'know."

Betty had a rising bad feeling in her chest, like a bubble that was about to pop. As Cheryl turned to walk away, Betty grabbed her arm. "Wait, Cheryl."

She turned back around to face her. "Yes?"

"I-I have something that I need to tell you. Promise you won't tell this to anyone else?"

**... **

"Wait, wait, so let me get this straight. You walked up to  _ the _ Cheryl Bombshell in the bathroom  _ willingly _ , and when you asked her what was wrong she said, and I quote, 'Get your sapphic, Serpent hands off my body?'" Jughead tried to say in between fits of laughter and bites of his burger.

"Shut up, man. It wasn't  _ that _ dramatic," Toni grumbled on her side of the booth. The two best friends had decided to take a trip to Pop's Diner, both having not eaten any good food in a while. Right now, they were eating a platter of onion rings, milkshakes, burgers, and big baskets of fries. Jughead might have crowned himself the king of eating, but, if he were being honest, he'd have to say that Toni had a bigger appetite than him.

"I just can't believe that you actually got a word out before she plunged her long, red claws straight into your chest and tore your heart out," the boy acted out his statement, pretending to dig his own hand into his chest and take his heart out.

Toni laughed loudly at his comment. He just sighed. It'd been so long since they had any time together that wasn't based around him trying to get her out of trouble or finding his dad.

"Well, well, well, look who decided to crash our sacred place today, boys. Slughead Jones and Topaz the Slut," the sound of Chuck Clayton's voice came from the entrance of the diner.

"Fuck do you want, Clayton. We're trying to eat lunch," Toni spat back at him, a little piece of onion still in her hand.

"Leave them alone, boys. We're here to eat, not start a problem," Cheryl said, stepping in front of the crowd of football players.

As the group sauntered away towards another booth, the redheaded Blossom snuck a gaze towards Toni and looked away.

Jughead whistled and turned back at his friend who was now blushing from her neck to her cheeks. "Looks like Bombshell doesn't hate you as much as you thought, huh?"

"Whatever. She was probably thinking of how plebeian I look with all this grease on my face." They both burst out laughing and continued to eat their food.

"You know, Jones, you're so up my ass about liking a Northsider, while you're always sneaking glances at ponytail Cooper," the girl said, wiggling her eyebrows at him.

Jughead was now blushing all over. His face the same color as the round pin on his hat.

"Shut up, you big tease," he grumbled barely audibly, punching the side of her arm playfully.

**... **

Betty walked into the library and looked around. The librarian was sitting at the front desk, reading cheesy erotica as usual. The try-hard kids were busy reading big stacks of books. Sitting on the carpeted floor was Jughead Jones, beanie prominent on his head, reading a murder mystery novel.

The blonde girl gulped at the sight of the boy. He was sitting with one leg up, his right arm laid across the floor, other sat on his knee holding the book. He somehow managed to look relaxed and tense at the same time.

Betty walked towards the front desk and put her hands on the mahogany wood. The librarian's gaze lifted from the book she was reading. Betty realized it was Fifty Shades of Grey. 

_ Ugh. How could someone read that piece of garbage? _

"Hi, I'd like to return a book. Name's Cooper, Betty."

The older woman flipped through some papers on the right side of her desk, reading glasses still on. Betty took the time to look around the room again. When her eyes landed on Jughead, his blue orbs were staring right back at her. She quickly turned away, flustered.

The woman turned back to Betty and grabbed a Bic Cristal pen from the drawer. "What book do you want to return?" she asked in a monotone voice. "The Journalist and the Murderer by Janet Malcolm."

The librarian soon snatched the book from her hands and waved her off, quick to return to her book.

_ What a bitch... _

As she walked back to the entrance of the library, she heard Jughead's raspy voice say, "The Journalist and the Murderer, huh? You have good taste."

Betty whipped her head around, her ponytail practically slapping her in the face. Jughead stared right at her, blue eyes piercing holes into her face.

"Uh, th-thanks. I like what you're reading, too," she stuttered while motioning towards the book in his hand.

He glanced at his book and nodded silently. "It's alright. A little too soft for my taste, though. I like more gore with my crime stories."

Betty nodded back and looked down at her feet. She didn't know why she felt so nervous- or, was embarrassed the right word?

_ God, he's so hot. _

_ NO. Stop it. _

_ Fucking sexy motorcycle- _

_ I said stop. _

_ I want to wear his leather jacket while I'm riding- _

**_ GAAAAAAHHHHHHH!! _ **

"Hey, you good?" his voice snapped her back into reality and out of her own thoughts.

"Yeah...yeah, I'm- yeah."

_ I need to get out of here. _

She rushed forward and ran out of the library, Jughead's gaze following her the whole way out.

_ Fuck me... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as we all know, jughead loves his true crime novels. (spoiler: ronnie joins the cast next chapter...) ❤❤❤

**Author's Note:**

> so, how'd i do? ❤❤❤


End file.
